Attachment for spinning mules



Aug. 31-, 19% 598,342

N. v. GALLAGHER ATTACHMENT FOR SPlNNINCi MULES Filed July 30. 1925 Zjvwentoz J1: K 6' aZZg z er Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

UNITED STATES HUGH V. GALLAGHER, OF GERMANTQWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR SPINNING MULES.

Application filed July 30, 1925.

This invention rel-ates to improvements in spinning mules and more particularly to an attachment operable to pick up the ends of broken yarn to facilitate piecing of the. ends. In the operation of a spinning mule, and particularly where poor or imperfect stock is being spun, a number of the strands will break from time to time, where imperfections exist, and it is customary to employ a piecer boy whose duty it is to pick up the broken ends of yarn and piece the same together, and as this work is performed comparatively slowly, the breakage of any considerable number of strands at one time will necessitate stopping of the operation of the mule until all of the ends can be pieced to.- gether. In practice, even an experienced pieccr boy can only handle about five strands at one time. The present invention, therefore, has as its primary object to provide means whereby any number of ends of yarn may be picked up simultaneously, and the operation of piecing the ends together may be more expeditiously performed and without necessitating cessation of operation of the mule.

As, in the operationof a spinning mule, the yarn rolls of the mule, when the mule is up to the rollers, are located only approximately two inches from the spindle ends, the invention has as a further object, to provide means which may be conveniently operated at such time to pick up any broken ends of yarn and direct the same to the spindle ends onto which they will be automatically lapped as the spindles rapidly rotate, so that while the mule is receding from the spindles, the piecer boy may readily piece together the ends of such strands as have been broken and without being required to manually pick up the broken ends.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ordinary self-acting spinning mule equipped with the attachment embodying the invention, the View illustrating in full lines the mule carriage at the limit of its movement in the direction of the drawing rolls of the mule and likewise illustrating the attachment, in dotted lines, in the position which it will be caused to assume to pick up the broken ends of the yarn.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation illustrating the roller beam of the mule and the drawing rolls supported thereon, together Serial No. 47,068.

with the attachment embodying the invention mounted in place upon the beam.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical front to rear sectional view illustrating the manner in which the attachment is to be operated to pick up the broken ends of the yarn strands and deliver the same to the spindle ends.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates in general the stock of the mule which supports the usual roll beam 2 upon which are rotatably mounted the drawing rolls ;3 in the rotation of which rolls yarn is delivered to the spindles, which are indicated by the numeral 4 and are mounted upon the usual carriage 5 which, in the operation of the mule, travel-s alternately toward and away from the drawing rolls 3, so as to impart the desired twist to the yarn in the outward movement of the carriage and'effect winding of the twisted yarn onto the spindles in the return movement of the carriage, as is custernary. Ordinarily, in the operation of the mule, when any of the strands of yarn break, the broken ends drop to position lying against the face of the roll beam 2 and must be picked up manually and pieced by the piece-r boy. Therefore, as before stated, the present invention contemplates the provision of means whereby this task may be more readily and quickly performed and the means whereby this result may be accomplished will now be described.

The invention resides in a lifter for the broken ends of yarn, which lifter is indicated in general by the numeral 6 and the same is preferably formed from a single length of rod material which is bent adjacent its ends to provide arms 7 which have laterally turned extremities 8 pivotally mounted in suit-able bearings 9 fixed upon the face of the roll beam 2. The main portion of the length of the rod is bent at intervals to provide a longitudinal series of spaced crotches 10, each located in a plane with a respective strand of yarn delivered from the drawing rolls 3. i

Normally, the lifter 6 assumes the full line position shown in Figure 1 of the drawings, in which position the lower portions of its arms 7 rest against the face of the roll beam 2 with the crotched member of the lifter extending longitudinally opposite and relatively close to the lower drawing roll 3. The strands of yarn delivered from the rolls and extending to the spindles, extend each above a respective one of the crotches 10 in the lifter and, so long as the strands are intact, are spaced above the respective crotches, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Should any one or more of the strands break, the broken ends will drop to the respective crotch or crotches 10, as shown most clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings. In the operation of the mule and upon return movement of the carriage 5 toward the drawing rolls, the upper ends of the spindles 4 upon the carriage are brought to position within approximately two inches of the respective crotches 10 in the lifter 6 and, if strands have been broken during the outward movement of the carriage, the attendant at the mule will manually swing the lifter from the dotted line position shown in Figure 3 to approximately the full line position shown in the said figure and in the direction of the spindles 4. i

In this movement of the lifter, the broken varn ends are lifted by the crotches into which they have dropped and will be presented to the upper ends of the respective spindles as shown in the said Figure 3. As the spindles are at this time rapidly rotating, the yarn end or ends will be lapped onto the spindle or spindles, being automatically picked up through frictional contact with the spindle ends. The piecer boy may then readily piece the broken yarn ends without any interruption in the operation of the mule. From the foregoing, it will be evident that through the medium of the present inated and by the simple swinging of the lifter 6, the piecer boy is enabled to simultaneously lift as many of the yarn ends as have been broken, thereby saving a very considerable amount of time and labor.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. In a spinning mule, the combination with the drawing rolls, the spindle carriage, and the spindles thereon, of a pivoted member disposed forwardly of the lower drawing roll and having its upper portion normally inclined towards the same and formed with crotches to receive the broken ends of the yarn, and adapted to be swung toward the spindles to deliver the broken ends of the yarn thereto and hold the same in contact therewith during a portion of the movement of the spindles away from the drawing rolls.

2. In a spinning mule, the combination with the drawing rolls, the spindle carriage, and the spindles carried thereby, of a lifter comprising a member having a longitudinal series of crotches therein and provided at its ends with arms, means pivotally mounting the lower ends of the arms and supporting the said member with its crotched portion extending longitudinally in advance of the lower drawing roll, the said lifter member being adapted to be swung away from the said drawing rolls and in the direction of the spindles, whereby to elevate, to the spindle ends, the ends of broken yarn strands.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

vention, the necessity of manually lifting each yarn end and piecing the same is obvi- HUGH V. GALLAGHER. [L.s.] 

